PM refuses to name unsuccessful silk applicants

THE Prime Minister says naming unsuccessful silk (senior counsel) applicants in the Parliament would result in their being scandalised, so he will not do so.

He was responding to questions in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

On Monday, President Christine Kangalooconferred silk on 17 attorneys at a ceremony at President's House in St Ann's. They included her husband Kerwyn Garcia and her brother Colin Kangaloo.

San Juan/Barataria MP Saddam Hosein asked Dr Rowley for a complete list of all applicants.

Rowley said the government, through its officials, had "indicated the process in great detail...57 people applied. We have indicated to the President that 17 people were selected by name, and others – I, as Prime Minister, refuse to call their names in this Parliament so that they can be scandalised.

"I think if people apply for silk and they were unsuccessful, their names should not be called in the Parliament to be scandalised."

Rowley said Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, sent him the final list on May 2.

The Opposition has made clear its disapproval of Kangaloo's relatives being awarded silk.

Armour recently told Newsday he consulted with Chief Justice Ivor Archie before submitting his recommendations to Rowley. He also said he spoke to Law Association president Lynette Seebaran-Suite "who, to her credit, recused herself because she was one of the names under consideration."

So, he said, Seebaran-Suite passed the matter on to "senior members of (the association) with whom I had discussions."

However, the association later said it had no consultations with Armour on the issue, but that a sub-committee opted to discuss with him the setting-up of an independent committee under Archie to consider applications for silk.

Responding to this on Tuesday, Armour said the association declined to discuss the list of names and "instead, wished to meet the honourable Prime Minister to persuade him to give consideration to a process different from what currently obtains from the 1964 order."

The association said Rowley declined, in writing.

Asked in Parliament who was the senior member of the association with whom he spoke, Armour said it had been Douglas Mendes, SC, and that they spoke on May 2.